Stockland Birtinya is taking part in the global movement of Plastic Free July with a number of green initiatives to encourage the community to make the swap from single-use to reusable plastics. From 8 July to 15 July, customers can pick up a range of convenient and complimentary reusable lifestyle accessories from retailers in the centre.
Retailers jump onboard for PlasticFree July – Fresh Food Brothers will encourage shoppers to use reusable bags
Shane Monro, Centre Manager Stockland Birtinya, said: “We are very proud to be joining the millions of people worldwide taking part in Plastic Free July. We have coordinated with some of our wonderful retailers and have come up with a number of ways in which we can help to minimise single-use plastics.”
“We are committed to offering customers a more environmentally friendly shopping experience and are proud to be taking a small step in the right direction in promoting a more sustainable future”, he said.
It is estimated that Australians use 1 billion disposable coffee cups each year. To help tackle this phenomenon, Stockland Birtinya will supply free ceramic cups with any purchase of a coffee at Acai Brothers. From Monday, 8 July, customers can receive a free handmade cup or alternatively, may purchase one from one of our local shops.
Free ceramic cups with any purchase of a coffee at Acai Brothers
The Fresh Fruit Brothers Marketplace will be giving away 1,000 reusable produce bags to help make customers’ grocery shops more sustainable.
Baker’s Delight Birtinya will similarly offer more than 200 free canvas bags to its customers to help reduce single-use plastic consumption.
Local butchers RA Quality Meats encouraging reusable packaging
Local butchers RA Quality Meats will also join the movement, encouraging their customers to bring in reusable containers and glassware when collecting their product. During the period the shop will give away one set of reusable containers per day to a lucky customer who spends over $10 at the shop.
Vanilla Salt will encourage customers to switch from plastic straws and bottles to more sustainable alternatives, and will offer $10 off for every $20 spent on reusable goods at their store.
Stockland Birtinya itself is built with sustainability in mind. It has undergone a $832,000 rooftop solar system that provides clean, green, renewable energy to the shopping centre. It is comprised of 1,896 panels and covers an area of approximately 3,700 square metres. The system is expected to generate approximately 882,000 kWh of renewable energy per year, enough to power over 160 homes1 and has been operational since December 2018.
Canvas Bags to replace plastic
The centre also uses a Pulpmaster which is a waste management system that processes all organic waste from the fruit and vegetable operators, bakeries and food tenancies. Stockland Birtinya currently diverts up to 4,000 litres of waste per week from landfill which is then pumped out and used by a waste contractor as organic fertiliser.
Stockland Birtinya Shopping centre forms part of the broader $830 million Birtinya Town Centre masterplan development across an area of 18 hectares.
